


Safe

by ApostateRevolutionary



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-20
Updated: 2015-06-20
Packaged: 2018-04-05 06:24:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4169307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApostateRevolutionary/pseuds/ApostateRevolutionary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anders wakes in the night after a nightmare. Hawke consoles him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Safe

**Author's Note:**

> Contains a brief reference to my All That Remains fic, which is also posted on here, but this one will still make sense without reading that one.

When she heard Anders’ shout, Hawke was awake in an instant. She instinctively scanned the room for danger and, when there was none to be found, she knew what had happened. It was another nightmare. The threat was very real, but it was not one she could see, or fight, or kill. That would’ve been simpler. The Champion could protect him from many things, Templars, bandits, any sort of attacker, but the terrors held in his own mind were not things she could save him from with the simplicity of a well-placed dagger.

Anders was sitting up against the head of the bed, panting, his eyes wild and damp with unshed tears, and she could see the sheen of sweat on his bare chest. The blankets were tangled in his legs and around his waist, clearly thrown off in his panic. Carefully, she moved over to him, trying not to startle him by coming too fast. She didn’t know if he’d realized where he was yet, or that whatever horror his mind had bestowed on him was a lie. The rogue gently placed a hand on his chest, and the mage whipped his head around to look at her, fear colouring his expression for a fraction of a second. Hawke could feel his heart pounding through his chest, as if it was going to burst from his rib cage at any moment.

“Anders. It’s alright. We’re at home, in bed. I’m here.” She whispered, watching him closely and keeping her hand pressed against the centre of his chest to ground him.

The blonde just continued to stare, and she could see the gears working in his mind. He was repeating her words internally, filtering them through his mind, likely running them passed Justice (even though the spirit was likely frantic at the moment, trying to calm Anders as well), trying to ascertain if they were true. He wanted them to be, she knew that, but his mind was more than ready to drag him back into the realm of nightmare at any moment.

“It’s okay, Anders. You’re safe, I promise.” She said softly, and she saw him relax a smidge.

“Hawke.” He said, finally letting out a deep breath, his eyes softening. “Love, I’m sorry, I–”

The rogue could hear his voice break on the second part. “Shh, it’s alright, love. I’m here.”

Hawke moved closer to him now, and she could see the way Anders’ cheeks pulled up as she pulled him closer, one hand threading through his hair and bringing his head against her chest. Her other arm snaked around his waist, holding him firmly against her and she felt him sob, wetness hitting her chest. She didn’t say anything, just held him, one hand running through his messy hair while the other gently rubbed his lower back, resting her chin on the top of his head as he wept against her.

When his sobs had calmed, Hawke spoke again, “Do you want to tell me about it? Only if you want to, love.”

Anders stiffened in her arms, before relaxing and nodding faintly. Sometimes talking helped him, and sometimes it only made things worse. It was hard to tell, so she always asked. Even after all these years together, Hawke worried she wasn’t helping well enough. After his experiences, nightmares were to be expected, and though she wished he didn’t have to suffer through that on top of everything else, she knew he always would. And she would be there for him every time, no matter what. That was a vow she’d made the first time the healer had awoken panicked in her bed, terrified by the terrors his mind had tortured him with that night. That, and that she’d never let him get away with apologizing for them. The Templars were responsible for this, not him.

The mage did not move when he started speaking, his breath puffing against her chest acting as a convenient way for her to monitor how worked up he was as they talked. “I was… I was back in the Circle. In that cell. They were going to leave me there, forever, and I…”

Anders shook against her as he trailed off, and she tightened her grip on him, kissing the top of his head. “It’s alright, Anders. Those bastards will never touch you again. I _swear_ it. I will kill every last one of them if that’s what it takes to keep you safe.”

Hawke felt him relax against her, before he let out a weak chuckle. “That’s a lot of killing, I’m afraid.”

“Well, I never said it’d be easy. But I’m fully prepared to do it.” She answered, idly tracing her fingers along his back and up his spine as he rested his face on her chest.

They stayed like that, Hawke holding Anders against her, for a time until his breathing had returned nearly to normal under her gentle touches. She walked her fingertips up along his spine, then across his shoulders, and then back down again as her other hand stroked through his hair. He clung to her, melting into her touches as she slowly brought him back to reality. The rogue wished there was more she could do to help, but she knew there wasn’t.

“I’m sorry about this, love.” Anders said suddenly, “You shouldn’t have to deal with this. You deserve someone–”

Hawke cut him off. “Anders, you have nothing to apologize for, alright? This is _their_ fault, not yours. I love you, and I’m going to help you however you can. Always. That’s a promise.”

“But you–”

Normally, that sort of insistence would’ve resulted in a glare and perhaps a playful shove, but she would never do that to him now, not while he was so fragile. Instead, she squeezed him tighter to cut him off again, and planted another kiss to the top of his head.

“No buts. I. Love. You. And that means I will always be with you, no matter what you think either of us deserve. I want to be with you, Anders. So unless you tell me to go, you’ll never be rid of me.”

She felt what she thought might be a small smile forming on his face, and he then shifted to kiss just below her collarbone. “I love you, too. So much more than words can express. I would never, ever ask you to go.” He looked up at her then, eyes still puffy from crying, but his expression was hopeful. “You know that, right?”

Hawke allowed herself a slight smile of her own. “I do, love. And I would never ask it of you either.” She brushed her lips over his hair again, planting a third kiss. “Now, do you think you’re ready to lie back down? I know you may not sleep, but if you can’t rest your mind, you should at least rest your body.”

The mage nodded, so the Champion loosened her grip, allowing Anders to get comfortable before wrapping herself around him, chest against his back and arms around his waist. She started to gently rub his belly, hearing a heavy exhale leave his lips, a sure sign that he’d calmed down. Softly, she began to hum the lullaby he’d sung to her those months ago when her mother had died. Hawke remained unable to pronounce the words, but she could hum the melody. This wasn’t the first time she’d done it, and she knew the tune calmed him better than most things did, so this was a common result when his dreams were plagued with old fears. The rogue continued to hum until she felt his breathing even out and she was certain he’d returned to his slumber. Smiling faintly to herself for managing to relax him enough to fall back asleep despite the horrors rest often meant for him, she tightened her hold around his waist slightly, before drifting off herself.

The couple slept soundly, not to be awakened again until morning. For in Hawke’s arms, Anders was truly able to relax and to feel _safe_ , a feeling he craved more than any other, and one he couldn’t get anywhere else.


End file.
